"The day Drew was drafted we changed (to North Melbourne supporters)," said Sue Petrie, the mother of Kangaroos forward Drew Petrie.

Mrs Petrie's brother, Ron Andrews, played 151 games for Essendon between 1973 and 1983, which meant Drew and his brother Scott grew up following the Bombers.

"They both ran around with a number 4 on their back, for Ron," said Mrs Petrie.

The Essendon link came up before Drew was drafted in 2000 he was scouted by the team before ending up with North Melbourne and then again at the end of his second year.

"He would have loved to be drafted by Essendon, but when the chance came at the end of his second year, he decided not to move (to Essendon)," said his father Trevor Petrie, who runs Trevor Petrie Real Estate on Sturt Street.

The Petries will travel to Melbourne for the game, but said any inkling of support for Essendon had disappeared when Drew played his first game for the Kangaroos.

"There's no soft spot. The first time he played, we knew," said Mr Petrie.

Ron Andrews will be at the game, according to Mrs Petrie, but her husband Trevor said he would most likely be on the fence with which team he would support.

"He'll be sitting with the Essendon boys, but I'm not sure who he's barracking for. He'll be impartial, most likely," he said.